Rescue of teens trapped and in trouble at Bude

A technical rescue tale of expert teams working together one August night.

Two teenagers found themselves in serious trouble on a Saturday night on the rugged coast at Bude in Cornwall (23 August 2025). Their afternoon’s adventure had left them in a perilous position after the rising tide came in and trapped them, leaving no way out and creating a challenging rescue scenario for the HM Coastguard teams.  

Teams at the scene working together

Earlier that day, the two young men had climbed down a cliff below Upper Lynstone Caravan Park in Bude, below which there are narrow stretches of sand and rocks when the tide is out but are completely covered when the tide comes in. The pair were caught out by the tide and as they tried to climb back up the unstable, stony cliff to get away from the pounding waves, one slipped and both became trapped. To make matters worse, darkness fell and there was no-one in sight. 

Luckily they had a mobile phone and called a parent who then raised the alarm just after 9pm by calling 999 for the Coastguard.

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The team at HM Coastguard’s nearest Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Falmouth quickly alerted the expert rescue resources. As they gathered, plans were swiftly put in place for a challenging and technical rescue, requiring closely coordinated teamwork to bring the pair to safety. 

From top to bottom 

Bude and Boscastle Coastguard Rescue Teams were sent to the top of the cliff and a search and rescue coastguard helicopter from Newquay was sent. Meanwhile from the sea at the bottom of the cliff, the RNLI lifeboat from Bude arrived, with the Padstow lifeboat arriving a short time afterwards, responding directly from another incident along the coast.   

Rescue complexities 

At the scene, the teams worked together to assess the best way to get the casualties to safety. The many considerations included the steep and unstable nature of the cliff and the downdraft of the helicopter, with the risk that the casualties may be blown off the cliff. The evening’s light wind conditions also meant that more power was needed by the helicopter to hover. The added complexity was that the cliff overhang meant that the rescue teams at the top could not see the casualties below.   

Following consultations between the teams on the ground and the operations room, a decision was taken that a technical rope rescue from the top of the cliff would be safer and preferable to a winch rescue by the helicopter crew. 

Practical planning  

The helicopter crew located the casualties on the cliff with their fluorescent infrared camera and illuminated them with their searchlight. It meant that specialist rope rescue teams could be directed to the exact location of the casualties.   

Once lowered, the rope rescue technician was able to make a closer assessment of the position of the casualties. The first casualty was in a very precarious position, with a high risk of slipping, and the other was further away from the cliff edge on a ledge that stuck out from the cliff.  

The first casualty was recovered to the top of the cliff by a technical rope rescue and reunited with an anxious parent. The second casualty remained in a perilous position – on a small, crumbly ledge jutting out from a near vertical cliff.  

Careful assessments  

Another careful assessment of the risks was made by the teams. A rope rescue carried the risk of slipping, falling and creating a pendulum in the rope system which could cause potential swinging of the rescue rope the casualty and technician to hit the cliff face. A winch rescue from the helicopter was still considered the most effective option. However, due to the helicopter needing to refuel after hovering at the scene for an extended period, it took approximately another hour before the crew could safely winch the man to safety. 

During the wait, the lifeboat crew illuminated the area while a coastguard rescue technician reassured the casualty and prepared him for the winch lift to safety at the top of the cliff. 

Once the boys had been checked over and were reunited with their parents, all SAR assets were stood down and returned to their respective bases. 

Alex Hart was on duty in the Falmouth MRCC that evening and recalls the concentration and teamwork.  

 “Every rescue is challenging but this one was especially testing due to the terrain, local conditions and the location of the casualties on an unstable cliff. The fact that it was a success and two young men were brought to safety could only have been done through all the teams working together. Myself and all the colleagues in the ops room had a cheer when we knew that both young men were safe and well,” he said.

 

On duty at the Falmouth MRCC: Alex H, Alex L, Aeron, Emily and Team Leader 'Paddy'

Sam Wilson, Coastal Operations Area Commander was the on-call officer during the incident, closely following every detail.  Senior Coastal Operations Officer Robin Snuggs added:  

“This was a complex and technical rescue involving very close coordination between all the teams involved. Everyone did a fantastic job, sharing the same aim of a safe and successful rescue so a I’d like to add my thanks to all who assisted with this rescue.” he said. 

In training